Frank e



F. E. CLARK.

ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8. 1915 1,193,515, Patwted Aug. 8,1916.

Til/E8858: IN VE/VTOI? g A TTOR/VEK FRANK E. CLARK, OF BRIDGEPORT,CONNECTICUT.

ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Extent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Application filed March 8, 1915. Serial No. 12,754.

To all to 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of F airfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RoadConstruction; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it a ppertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved road construction composed ofconcrete blocks.

The object of my invention is to construct each block to conform to thepredetermined pitch of the road bed. In other words, when the road bedis laid out at a certain given pitch, each particular block isconstructed to occupy a certain place in the road bed so that, when theroad bed is covered by the blocks, the pitch of the curved earth bed andthe pitch of the overlying blocks will be the same.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 rep resents a cross section of aroad bed covered with concrete blocks; Fig. 2 is an upper plan view of aseries of concrete blocks showing the position they will occupy when theroad bed is fully covered in width, the filling concrete being omittedfrom the recesses of the blocks of the upper half to expose the tie rodsand connecting links; Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of aconcrete block; and Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of a block.

The pitch of the road bed 1 having been established the different radiiof the curve of the road bed can easily be determined and the abuttingfaces of the concrete blocks 9., 3, 1-, 5, G, 7 and 8 will be made tocorrespond thereto and thus form a close and compact concrete road bedfrom curb to curb. As the angle of the abutting faces of the blocks willvary in accordance with the position of the blocks on the road bed, itis evident, in order to form a curve to correspond to the establishedroad bed, each block must occupy its own particular place to form aperfectly even concrete road bed. As herein shown, the rod isconstructed on a curve representing an arc of a circle and the abuttingfaces a. represent or conform to the radial lines described from thecenter of the circle represented by the road bed 1 and consequently theblocks are all alike and can be placed in any position on the curve ofthe road bed.

9 are the curbs backed up by earth, as shown, so that, when tthe blocksare in place, they are fully supported at the curb.

Each block carries the tie rods 10 whose upturned ends form hooks whichare embraced by the elastic or open spring links 11 which normally holdthe blocks together and expand and contract with the expansion andcontraction of the blocks from curb to curb. These upturned ends andlinks are located in the corner recesses 12 of the blocks, whichrecesses are filled with liquid concrete when the blocks are properlylocated on the road bed. In Fig. 2, the recesses in the two upper rowsof blocks are represented as being still open, while those of the twolower rows are filled with concrete and that .portion of the concreteroad bed is completed.

Each alternate row of blocks will be of full length and will fill thespace from curb tocurb, and in laying them the crown blocks are firstlaid and the others filled in on each side thereof. The intermediaterows of blocks 13 will break joints with the former, which will leave ahalf block space next to the curbs to be filled in by the half orfractional blocks 14:.

To prevent the blocks creeping on a steep grade, the lugs 15 may beformed on their inner curved faces.

A concrete road bed of the above descrip tion is practicallyindestructible and can be laid as fast as the blocks can be handled, andas each block will be shaped to conform to its particular place in theroad in accordance with the curve or pitch of the road bed, the pitchand curvature of the whole completed structure will be uniformthroughout. Over this concrete road bed can be laid any asphalt roaddressings desired, which top dressing, owing to the solid concretefoundation, can be much thinner than required for an earth road bed.

The important feature of this novel concrete road bed construction isthat when properly laid, it will be fully supported and held in place bythe curbs and notby the underlying earth, as this can be entirelyremoved without disturbing in the least. the overlying concretearch-like construction which will preserve its shape and contour andload sustaining quality without any underlying support, any suitablefixed abutments or other supports for the curbs being provided forsustaining them in place.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. A road construction comprising concrete blocks, each blockconstructed to occupy a certain predetermined place to conform to apredetermined pitch of the road bed, said blocks having recesses, tierods projecting within said recesses, open spring links connecting thetie rods of adjacent abutting blocks, said recesses adapted to be filledWith cement when the blocks are laid and con nected togethertransversely of the road bed.

2. A road construction, comprising blocks having recesses at their uppercorners, tie rods embedded in the blocks and having hook portionsprojecting into said recesses, links engaging the hook portions of saidtie rods of adjacent abutting blocks to lock the blocks together, saidlinks lying Within said recesses, and a concrete filling for said re-Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe cesses concealing said hook portions and said links.

3. A road construction, comprising concrete blocks having recesses attheir corners, tie rods embedded in said blocks and provided with hookportions projecting into said recesses, elastic links adapted to engagethe hook portions of adjacent abutting blocks for locking the blockstogether and permitting expansion and contraction of the road, and aconcrete filling for said recesses concealing said hook portions andconnecting links.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK E. CLARK.

Witnesses:

GEORGE N. SEARS, FRANK VIRELLI.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

